Every business in England and Wales has a legal Duty of Care to
ensure waste is disposed of responsibly.
If you produce waste you must
take all reasonable steps to keep the waste safe. If you give it to
someone else you must be sure they are authorised to take it and
can transport, process or dispose of it safely and legally. If you
break this law you can be fined an unlimited
amount.
Business Waste
If you run a business you are legally responsible for making
sure that your waste is handled and disposed of properly. You must
comply with
the Government's Duty of Care legislation which sets out how
commercial or business waste should be:
- stored
- transported
- disposed of
- recorded
Business and trade waste is not accepted at Household
Waste Recycling Sites and should not be presented with your
household waste.
Storage of Business Waste
The Duty of Care makes it your responsibility to ensure that
your waste is stored securely. It must be stored in secure
containers that protect it from being blown away or disturbed by
animals.
Handling and Disposal
Waste must be transported to and disposed of at a licensed
commercial waste site. You can deliver it yourself as long as your
licensed, or have it collected by a licensed waste collection
company.
If you pass your waste on to someone else, check that they are
authorised to take it. All companies licensed to carry or accept
waste are listed on the
Environment Agency website - Public Registers.
Recording Information
When you hand over your waste to a third party, you must
complete a Waste Transfer Note, describing whether the waste is
loose or contained and what it consists of. This protects the
people that handle your waste and allows them to ensure that it is
disposed of safely. You must keep records of these notes for at
least two years.
Find out more about Waste Transfer Notes from the
Business Link
website:
Hazardous Waste
If you need to dispose of hazardous waste
-including car batteries and fluorescent tubes - you also need to
comply with separate
regulations. |